


Tattoos & sheet music

by Orlaith



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: F/M, Modern AU, Pianist!Ben, Rey!Kenobi, Tattoo Arist!Rey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2017-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-22 03:32:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7418149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orlaith/pseuds/Orlaith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey Kenobi is a violet-haired, tattoo artist who works at the Niima Outpost tattoo parlor that she runs with her two best friends, Finn and Poe Dameron. Ben Solo is a clean-cut, classically trained pianist who runs the Millennium Falcon music shop where he teaches piano lessons, that happens to be next to Niima Outpost. The shops are built similarly, and Rey and Ben’s offices share a thin wall that blocks no sounds: A situation that would be considered inconvenient to most but is appreciated by both parties. Ben enjoys listening to the soft indie music the tattoo artist plays from 9:00 (when the shops close) to 11:30, and Rey loves listening to the pianist play Beethoven and Mozart as soon as she switches her music off and then well into the morning. The two have never met in person.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Setting the stage

**Author's Note:**

> This is an idea that's been rolling around in my head for quite some time so I figured I'd get it out on paper.

Rey Kenobi struggled to pull open the door with one hand, fighting against the strong autumn wind. As she finally crossed the threshold into the tattoo parlor, the bell on top of the door frantically rang which resulted in two cats streaking through the room towards Rey. She chuckled as she knelt down, reaching her hand out to pet Jakku and BB-8. Standing up and reaching over to the wall to flick on the lights, Rey swore the next time they got a cat, she was going to name it. She set the coffees down on the front desk and threw her leather jacket on the rack by the door.

Picking up the schedule book from the desk, Rey stuffed the donut in her mouth and walked through the parlor, switching on the rest of the lights and sipping her tea as she read through today’s appointments. Jakku circled her feet, nudging against her legs and trying to get her attention. BB-8 was no doubt sitting on the front desk waiting for Poe to show up.

Moments later, Rey heard the bell ring and a grunt of a greeting. Smiling, she poked her head around the corner to see her boys shuffling in.

“Coffee’s on the counter,” she called out, just a bit louder than was necessary. She knew both had to have a hell of a hangover after last night. Luckily she had been with them and, as the designated driver, got them home safely. Both men winced and silently grabbed their drinks. Finn let out a soft thanks before he sat down behind his desk and dove into the paperwork for the day. 

Poe, on the other hand, drifted off towards his station to get everything set up. Rey and Poe were very similar in most things, including their obsession with everything being orderly and in its place. However, where Rey would put everything back, Poe would put everything back, check it once again, and then check again the next day just to be sure.

Rey chuckled to herself and set off back towards her office, flipping through the schedule once again and eating the last of the donut. As she turned on the lights to her office, Rey subconsciously glanced over at wall that she shared with the music store,  _ The Millennium Falcon _ . She drummed the tips of her fingers against the spot where she knew the piano was, a habit she had gotten into around the same time the pianist and her began their routine of music. Throwing the schedule down on her desk, Rey booted up her computer hoping to get some filing done before her first appointment.

xXxXx

Ben Solo shuffled up to the door of his music shop, scarf wrapped tightly around his neck and coffee held between both hands as he tried desperately to glean some warmth from his drink. He raised a single hand in greeting to the curly haired tattoo artist next door as he turned on their neon sign out front. Ben had known Dameron since they were children, but they hadn’t really spoken in years. As he turned the key in the door and it swung open, a cold, clipped voice that reminded him of the autumn air sounded behind him.

“Good morning, Solo.” Ben sighed deeply and turned to greet his business partner.

“Morning, Hux.” Ben worked with Brendol Hux merely out of desperation for a more business type personality. He had needed someone who had no qualms asking people for money and ordering around the interns. Hux was much better than Ben when it came to dealing with higher-ups. Ben prefered to just sit at his instruments and play and teach others how to.

Entering the building, Ben was greeted with the familiar and comforting smell of the oil used on the piano wires. Hux laid his bag and coat on the counter as he began switching on lights and speaking to Ben.

“We have music shipments coming in today. I believe it’s four crates, but it may be five. Two are all the classics, your Beethoven and your Bach and probably some Mozart. One is a lot of beginners books. Watered down versions of Disney songs and Somewhere Over the Rainbow and the like. And the last one, or two, are our requested books. Mostly pop songs and lots of The Beatles.” Hux turned to Ben. “At least a quarter of that crate is filled with different level books of that horrendous children’s movie that came out recently.”

Ben raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t narrow it down.

Hux rolled his eyes. “The one with the sisters and Idina Menzel.” Ben let out a snort of laughter at that and began walking back towards his office.

“ _ Frozen _ , Hux. It’s called  _ Frozen _ .” Hux’s voice drifted back to Ben as he continued walking.

“Ah, yes.  _ Frozen _ .” Hux filled the two syllable title with more loathing than Ben would have thought possible. “If I have to hear one more butchered piano rendition of  _ Let it Go _ , I may shoot myself. Or the player. Whichever is more convenient at the time.”

Ben chuckled as he entered his office, flicking on the lights. He threw his scarf and coat onto the rack in the corner and set his bag down by his desk, turning on his computer. He sat down at his small upright that was across the room from his desk. While staring at the spot on the wall above his piano, he idly cracked his knuckles and tried to think of a song to play.

Ben glanced down at his watch; It was 8:20. Undoubtedly his neighbor had been in her shop for at least an hour, early riser that she was. There was never a day Ben came into work that her vintage bike wasn’t already chained up outside the tattoo parlor. As more of a night owl, Ben envied her ability to wake up so early in the morning.

A smile graced his lips, and Ben hoped the tattoo artist was in her office as he began the introduction to Tchaikovsky’s  _ Swan Lake Theme _ . At around 8:30 every morning, Ben played a song before the two of them really began their work days. It was one of their many traditions. He could only wonder how many more they would have if they ever met face to face. Or learned each other’s names. But the closest Ben had ever come to her was when the tattoo parlor’s mail got mixed in with theirs, and he saw her working when he handed Finn the mail.

As the music picked up tempo, and his fingers danced across the keys of his beat up Kimble, Ben silently prayed to the powers that be that one day he might meet the young tattoo artist with violet hair, the vintage bike, and a penchant for grandpa cardigans.

xXxXx

Rey heard Poe calling her name and was just about to leave her paperwork and go to the front of the shop when a soft piano melody came drifting through the wall to her right. Closing her eyes, she sighed and sat for a few moments just enjoying his music. Though she no training musically, Rey was certain her neighbor was incredibly talented. She didn’t think it took an expert to know that. If she couldn’t hear the keys clacking from where the piano leaned against the wall, Rey would’ve thought her neighbor played recordings all the time. Standing up, she went over to the wall and leaned her forehead against it.

The piano continued to play it’s quiet melody for a few more moments before the chords became softer and softer until Rey thought she only imagined the resolving note at the end. Knowing that this was the end of the song, Rey tapped out a series of five knocks. Less than a second passed before four knocks were given as a response. Rey smiled, her palm still pressed against the wall before pulling it away and leaving her office.

Rey had yet to meet her reclusive neighbor. She had seen him once or twice when he brought their mail to Finn. He was tall, with dark waves and intoxicatingly brown eyes. He had a large nose, ears that were reminiscent of that Disney elephant, and many freckles scattered across his face. All of these things may have been unwelcome to others, but Rey thought they made him handsome in an unusual sort of way.

All she knew about him was that she had never felt more connected to someone without ever speaking to them. A few nights previously he had played a soft waltz in the morning and then some angry Russian dance that night, and Rey had seriously considered leaving her work, locking up the shop and going over to the  _ Millennium Falcon _ to comfort him.

But she knew that was impractical.

So Rey went through the rest of her day creating permanent art on strangers’ skin and only thinking of her pianist neighbor when her thoughts wandered and her eyes drifted to the west wall of the shop.


	2. The "meet-cute"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All romances need a "meet-cute", and this is ours.

Rey frantically piled her hair on top of her head and snapped a hair tie around it as she chained up her bike in front of the parlor. She glanced down at the watch that used to belong to her grandmother. 8:15. Under her breath, Rey let out a string of curses that would have made a sailor blush. Running late was strictly against everything she valued. Everyday, Rey got her tea and muffin from across the street and got to the parlor at about 7:30, so she would have more than an hour to do paperwork and filing before the shop opened.

Checking to make sure there were no cars, Rey sprinted across the road. She rifled through her purse, searching for her wallet, as she pushed the cafe’s door open.

The platinum blonde behind the counter looked up as Rey raced through the door. Gretta Phasma smiled as she turned from the tall, dark-haired man she was talking to and held out the artist’s order.

“Running a little late, are we?” the shop-owner asked while Rey searched for her card. Finding it, she quickly handed it over, paying no mind to the man staring at her.

“The power must’ve gone out sometime last night,” she explained. “My alarm didn’t go off and all my clocks were wrong.” Scribbling out her signature on the slip of paper Gretta handed her, Rey snatched up her tea and muffin and spun around to leave.

Except, she terribly misjudged where the man behind her was standing and plowed straight into his chest, knocking his drink out of his hand and spilling it all over his shirt.

“Shit,” Rey exclaimed. Setting her breakfast on the counter, she hurried to grab napkins and began dabbing at the man’s shirt before realizing how incredibly awkward that was. “I’m so sorry.”

To Rey’s surprise, the tall man chuckled. Instantly, she stopped trying to clean the man’s shirt and really looked at him for the first time. Dark eyes the same color as the black coffee he had been drinking met her hazel ones, and Rey realized that she had just spilled coffee on her piano-playing neighbor.

“Shit.” The man chuckled again, and this time, Rey glared at him. “Quit that.”

“Quit what?” Her neighbor spoke in a low baritone that sounded exactly like she had imagined, though she would never admit she had imagined what his voice sounded like.

“Quit laughing at me,” Rey burst out. “I spilled coffee on you, and now I’m trying to clean it up. There’s nothing funny about that.”

“Yes, there is.”

“What would that be?”

“You.”

Rey stopped. There was playful glint in the musician's eyes, but the young tattoo artist was in no mood to be teased today. The machines behind Gretta hissed and popped, silverware clanked against dishes, and customers sat at their tables having conversations. But the trio standing by the counter was silent.

Rey turned around, grabbed her food and smiled at the young man. “It’s been a pleasure. Truly.” Taking a drink of the now cooled tea, she headed for the door. The brisk autumn air nipped at Rey’s face as she left the shop. This morning had been nothing like she expected. Nor had her neighbor. Rey had imagined many different ways of meeting the man, but the idea that she might spill coffee on him and then have him mock her for trying to help had not even crossed her mind.

No sooner had she gone to cross the road then a large hand was on her arm, holding her back. Rey spun around, biting words already on her tongue, but the man with the dark waves and coffee eyes spoke before she could.

“I’m sorry, alright.” Rey opened her mouth, but he continued. “It wasn’t kind of me to laugh at you. You’re obviously having a bad day. It’s just… it was incredibly cute.” Rey’s cheeks flushed, not from embarrassment but from anger.

“Cute?” she asked, incredulously.

“Yeah, cute. You were all flustered, and cheeks were red, and it was… cute.” Rey stared up at this man, her brows furrowed. She desperately wanted to be mad at him because it would make things so much easier. But the truth was, she was somewhat flattered in some strange, twisted way, and her stomach flipped. He had called her cute.

Shoving that thought down, Rey glanced at her watch. 8:24. She really needed to get to the shop to get everything ready. Straightening her back, she looked her neighbor in the eyes.

“Alright, fine. Let’s call it even. I spilled coffee on you. You laughed at me. Done.” She spun on her heel, ready to cross the street, but his low voice stopped her.

“That’s it?” Rey turned back around, eyes him carefully.

“What else is there?” His hands were now shoved into his pockets and his shoulders hunched. There were dark stains on the front of his shirt from the coffee.

“We could have dinner.”

“Dinner?”

“Yeah, dinner.”

“Why?”

“I could show you I wasn’t trying to be rude when I laughed. You’re a nice girl, and I don’t want you thinking bad of me.”

“Yeah, right, like I’m gonna go to dinner with you.” Rey turned her back to him, crossing the road to her shop, her neighbor following closely behind. When she reached the door to the tattoo parlor, she saw Finn eyeing her and the tall man suspiciously. Taking a deep breath, she faced the man.

“Here’s the deal,” she began. “We’ll have lunch tomorrow, at the First Order. I’ll buy to make up for your coffee, and it will not last more than an hour. Satisfied?” The man smiled.

“Quite,” he said. “I look forward to it.”

Rey nodded. “Good then.” She walked to the door of her shop but stopped with her hand on the doorknob when he spoke again from behind her.

“Hey.” She sighed as she turned around. When she turned around, the pianist was grinning at her. “My name’s Ben, by the way. Ben Solo.”

“Rey,” she said tersely. “Rey Kenobi.” With that, she hurried into her shop, hanging her jacket on the coat rack. She grabbed the stack of mail on the counter, while Finn looked at her.

“What was that all about?”

“It’s nothing,” Rey stated flippantly. Her dismissiveness earned a raised eyebrow from Finn.

“Nothing, huh?”

“Nothing.” Rey ran her fingers through her hair and straightened her back. She glanced at her watch. 8:29. She really needed to get to her office and finish some paperwork. “Honestly, Finn. It’s not a big deal, and it’ll be done with tomorrow.” Stuffing the requests for appointments in Finn’s folder and grabbing the bills, Rey took a large gulp of tea as she walked towards her office.

Poe yelled from across the parlor, “Don’t forget you’ve got that arm sleeve coming in at 9:15, kid.” Rey waved at him, acknowledging his words, but continued on to her office. Sighing loudly and collapsing into her chair, Rey set her chin in her hands. As she went over the events of the morning, the young artist laughed to herself.

_ I cannot believe I agreed to go on a date with him. _ Though she saw mostly mortified, a small part of her was filled with thrill at the opportunity to get to know her neighbor.

“Ben,” Rey whispered to herself. She sat up straighter and mocked, “Ben Solo.” She chuckled to herself, but quickly stopped when she heard the familiar clack of keys on the other side of the wall.

Her eyebrows furrowed; the chords were recognizable, as was the floating piano part above them, but Rey couldn’t place the melody.

Pressing her ear against the wall to try and discern the song, a soft, baritone hum reached her ears.

_ She gets too hungry for dinner at eight. _

Jaw dropping, Rey glanced incredulously at the wall.

_ She loves the theater but never comes late. _

“Are you serious?” Rey whispered to herself.

_ She’d never bother with people she hates. _

Rey slapped the palm of her hand against the wall, but the next line of the song still came, the voice filled with amusement.

_ That’s why the lady is a tramp. _

Quickly pushing herself off the wall, Rey sat down at her desk and booted up her computer, while grabbing files from the stack on the corner of her desk. The song continued until its conclusion about a minutes later. After some filing, Rey decided that was enough and got up to leave.

As she was about the cross the threshold, four hesitant knocks were rapped out on the other side of the wall.

Never one to truly hold a grudge, Rey sighed resignedly and walked over to the wall.

She waited a few moments, just to mess with Ben, but after what she considered an appropriate time, she knocked back.

xXxXx

Ben’s forehead was pressed against his piano and his eyes were closed. He had accepted the fact that the tattoo artist didn’t like him. He hoped he would be able to fix things tomorrow.

He hadn’t meant anything bad when he had laughed at her, but he couldn’t stop himself. She was late to being early, and she’d looked like her world was falling apart.

_ Rey _ , he thought to himself.  _ Rey Kenobi _ . The name fitted her. He’d never met another girl named Rey, which made sense since he was unlikely to meet another girl like Rey. He sighed and sat up.

Ben stood, realizing he wasn’t going to get a response. He turned to the door, but stopped when he heard five soft knocks. Smiling to himself, the pianist left his office.

When he came into the shop, Hux was standing at a piano and plucking the strings.

“Good morning, Hux,” Ben called. Hux turned to him, raising a questioning eyebrow.

“You are in an… unusually friendly mood, Solo.”

Ben grinned. “I suppose so.” He glanced down at the piano. “Something wrong with this one?”

Hux shook his head. “No,” he said. “I just think we should get someone in to tune them in the near future. Preferably before Black Friday. We want people to be able to try them out, and it would be best if they were all in tune.”

“Yeah, that’s not a bad idea,” Ben agreed. Hux raised his eyebrow once again. “What?” Ben queried. His business partner continued walking towards the front desk.

“You just don’t usually agree right away.” Hux quickly raised a hand. “Don’t think I’m complaining, because I’m most certainly not. Just a little taken aback is all.”

Ben chuckled. “Whatever, Hux. Try to get a rise out of me all you want, it’s not going to happen.”

“From what it seemed like earlier, I would’ve thought you’d be in a bad mood today.”

“Why is that?”

“Solo, you were covered in coffee when you came into the shop this morning.”

“Well, yes. But a cute girl spilled it on me, so it doesn’t really matter all that much.”

Hux stopped what he was doing and looked up at Ben.

“A cute girl?” Ben nodded slightly. “This wouldn’t be the same girl that works next door is it? The Kenobi.”

“Oh, please,” Ben interrupted, but Hux pressed on.

“I’m not kidding, Ben.” The man looked at his business partner. Hux never called him Ben. “Be careful that your personal interest does not interfere with your ability to do your job to the best of your capabilities.” Ben glared at his friend.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Hux,” he scoffed, before stalking away back to his office.

Hux visibly flinched when the door slammed shut. He glanced back to be certain Ben was in his office before leaving the store and making his way across the street to Phasma’s cafe.

Gretta smiled as soon as Hux entered the shop.

“What can I get you, Bren?”

“Nothing right now, Gretta, please.”

“Is something wrong?” Gretta asked, seeing the look on Hux’s face.

“I don’t think so.” Hux stared out the cafe windows and into the tattoo parlor. A small girl with bright, violet curls leaned against the front counter, chatting with the receptionist. “Not yet, at least.” The man turned back to his best friend.

“But I’m afraid we might.”


	3. The first date

Rey sighed heavily and stretched her arms over her head as her client closed the front door behind him. She had been working on this tattoo since 9:30 which meant it had taken almost- she glanced down at her watch- two hours. Throwing the folder on Finn’s desk, Rey almost rubbed at her eyes before stopping herself from messing up her makeup. 

She didn’t know what had gotten into her. Rey never wore makeup. She woke up, washed her face, and filled in her eyebrows, sometimes throwing on some mascara. A small voice told her it was because she wanted to look good for her date. Rey shouted the voice down that this wasn’t a date.

Poe came up behind Rey, startling her from her daze.

“Someone came in earlier asking if they could be fit in this afternoon. I told them 3:00 because I know you’re busy over lunch.” A sly eyebrow raised, and Rey playfully slapped the man’s arm.

“Stop it.”

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with going on a date,” Poe argued, raising his hands defensively.

“It’s not a date,” Rey exclaimed.

“Sure sounds like a date,” piped up Finn from behind his desk. Rey realized she was being ganged up on and quickly tried to move towards the back hallway, desperate to get away from the boys. Poe blocked her movement, and all three looked up as the bell above the door jingled.

Two college girls, giggling madly, approached Finn’s desk, and Poe grabbed Rey’s arm, gently pulling her away.

“You know we only mock you because we care, right Rey?”

“No, I know. It’s just, this really isn’t even a date. I hardly know the guy! I didn’t know his name ‘til yesterday.”

Poe nodded in understanding. “I get it. But listen, Ben’s a nice guy. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

Anyone looking could practically see Rey instantly become more interest.

“You  _ know _ him? Well?”

“Yeah,” Poe shrugged. “We grew up together. We lived on the same street. He was my best friend.” He glanced out the window, as if expecting Ben to appear. “But the summer before eighth grade, he just left. His parents were having issues, Ben wasn’t taking it well and got into some trouble, so they packed him up and shipped him off to his uncle’s boarding school.”

Poe continued, “He came back the summer before college, got a degree in business, and opened up his shop around the same time I was starting mine. He was different when he came back. Not in a bad way, just… quieter. More reserved.” Rey bit her tongue to keep from asking questions. This was really none of her business, but she didn’t want Poe to stop telling her about the past of her mysterious neighbor.

“Ben’s kind. He seems a little rough, and he has his moments, but you could do a lot worse, Rey.” The girl’s cheeks flushed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve told you already: this isn’t a date.”

Poe smirked. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Whatever you say, kid.” Her friend turned away and walked over to the girls standing with Finn. Rey opened her mouth to argue but she was cut off by the sound of the front bell ringing. Three pairs of eyes snapped to the entrance to see Ben Solo wave shyly at the trio.

“Hello. I uh-” he scratched the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable with the attention. “Rey?” He acknowledged the woman, and it was then that Rey fully looked at the musician. He was wearing dark gray slacks, dress shoes, and a dark green vest over a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled past his elbows. Rey’s mouth went dry as it occurred to her, not for the first time, how attractive her neighbor really was when not being an ass.

Her hazel eyes widened as she realized that Ben was staring at her expectantly. He had asked her a question, and she had missed it completely.

“Sorry,” she muttered. “I wasn’t listening.”

“I asked if you were ready to go.”

“Oh, yeah, sure.”  _ Wow, Rey. Don’t sound so excited. _

“Okay then, let’s go.”

Shyly taking his offered arm, Rey made her way to the door with Ben.

Neither Rey nor Ben noticed the look Poe and Finn exchanged as the pair left the tattoo parlor and walked across the street to the cafe.

Rey pulled her chair up to the table and watched as Ben slid his phone from his pocket. After a few seconds of fiddling around with it, he set the phone on the edge of the table, face up, so that Rey could see the timer set for an hour. Rey bit her lip to keep from smiling, and she instead leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms.

“Funny.”

“I try.”

A few moments of tense silence passed. Unable to think of anything to say, Rey sat, eyes wandering around the room and hoping beyond hope that she wouldn’t have to sit through an hour of this. The waiter came and took their order. As the young man walked away, Ben cleared his throat, and Rey chanced a glance at him. His golden eyes gleamed at her, and she tried to tell herself that she didn’t find him attractive.

She wasn’t convinced.

“So, tell me something,” Ben requested.

Rey cracked her knuckles, nervously. “Like what?”

“I don’t know. Favorite color?”

“Yellow? You?”

“Gray.”

“Shocking.”

Ben chuckled, a sound that made Rey’s cheeks flush, and she squirmed in her seat. “How about book?”

“ _ Anne of Green Gables _ .” Rey bit her lip, realizing that may have revealed more about herself than she wanted. She pulled her silverware from the napkin, left it on the table, and began fidgeting with the napkin under the table. “What about you?”

“ _ Le Petit Prince _ . I know about your taste in music… Best friend from childhood?”

“What, are you trying to hack my bank account?” Rey exclaimed.

“Absolutely not! Totally unrelated, but what was the name of your first pet?” Rey chuckled, as did her companion, and she threw her balled up napkin at him. Slowly, the tension was leaving her body.

Ben’s eyes seemed to cut into Rey with their clarity. “What do you do?”

“You know that. I’m a tattoo artist.”

“I don’t mean what do you do for a job. I mean, what gets you out of bed in the morning? What makes your heart pound and your blood boil and your breath catch until you feel as if you’re on fire, and you are certain that you could simply combust?”

Rey’s pulse hammered, and the answer that first jumped into her head was not expected. She quickly pushed the thought down however and responded, quietly, “I paint.”

“What about you?” she asked after a few silent moments had passed.

Ben leaned back, arm on the back of his chair, smiling at the girl with the violet hair. “I write music.” Rey wondered, not for the first time, why she had agreed to this date.  _ It’s not a date _ , she argued. She didn’t believe herself this time either.

She was saved from having to come up with a response by their food arriving. The next few minutes passed with them eating their food and having polite and pleasant conversation. When the plates were taken away, Rey leaned on her hand, elbow on the table. She was becoming more and more comfortable around Ben, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

“Where have you lived besides Seattle?” The girl asked.

“New York,” Ben responded tersely. Something in his voice and posture told Rey this wasn’t exactly his favorite topic, but she continued regardless.

“Why did you leave?”

Ben opened his mouth, but he was cut off by the sharp ring of his phone. Both pairs of eyes looked down at the phone to see that the timer had ended. Ben pushed back from the table.

“I’m very sorry, miss, but that’s all the time we have.” Rey chuckled slightly as Ben pulled her chair back for her. Moving towards the door, Ben smiled at Rey. “Coming?” Rey nodded and followed though she was disappointed he had gotten out of the question. The two came to a stop outside the parlor. Unbeknownst to either of them, Finn and Poe stood behind the window, giggling like school girls, eagerly trying to get a look at the pair.

“I have one more question,” Rey stated simply.

“Shoot,” said Ben.

“What’s your favorite song to play on the piano?”

“Will you be in your office tonight?”

“Yes.”

“How late?”

“I don’t know. It’s Wednesday, so I usually stay until about nine or ten to get caught up on paperwork.”

“Then I’ll play it for you tonight.” Ben swooped down and kissed Rey on the cheek before she could protest. “It’s a date,” he said, grinning. He quickly turned on his heel and went back to his shop as Rey stood, dumbfounded and blushing, outside the parlor. Finn squealed, but Poe smacked his arm and then rushed away from the window before Rey saw them.

xXxXx

Rey turned off the lights in the parlor, grabbing her jacket off the rack by the door. She had sat in her office doing paperwork for much longer than needed since she wanted to hear Ben play. The song had been beautifully sad. Rey had struggled to try to get her phone to recognize the song through the wall as he played, but she finally got it to pop up.

_ Chanson de l’adieu _ : “The song of goodbye”.

The young woman didn’t know if she’d ever heard something so full of emotion. The song had ended, and Rey had made her way to the front of the store, quickly, trying to beat her neighbor. Snatching a Post-it and pen of Finn’s desk, she hastily scribbled something down. Before she could think better of it, Rey signed the note with her name and two Xs.

Rey ran out the door, stuck the not to the music shop’s door, and hopped on her bike, pedaling quickly away before she did anything else. Smiling slightly, Rey shook her head.  _ You have no idea what you could be getting yourself into, Rey,  _ she told herself. She found though, that she truly didn’t care much.

xXxXx

Ben walked out of the shop. When the ritual of music between the two had started, Ben hadn’t thought much of it. His emotions were evident in his playing, but not really knowing this girl, he didn’t mind that she knew what he was feeling. After tonight however, he found himself more hesitant.

What if this girl started to get too close? He had opened up more to her in their hour at lunch than he had to anyone in the years he’d been back. Ben was starting to wonder how good an idea this all was.

He had much more to lose and could be hurt much worse if things went poorly. Rey could surely have her pick of anyone with her looks and disposition. She would almost certainly realize that not too long after anything happened between the two of them if anything even happened. It wasn’t as if lunch had been an unmitigated success. There wasn’t anyway of telling if she was even interested.

Ben turned to lock the door behind him when something pink caught his eye. Carefully pulling the note off the door, Ben read, “Ben: thank you for lunch and the song. The latter was beautiful and the former pleasurable. Let’s do it again sometime.” Underneath was the girl’s number and signature followed by two Xs that made Ben’s cheeks warm, and a smile spread across his face.

Once he walked the few short blocks to his apartment and hung his keys by the front door, he stuck the Post-it on his fridge with small magnet. Slipping his phone from his pocket, Ben swiftly entered the numbers into his phone. When it came to entering her name, he hesitated. Ben was the guy who put everyone’s full name into his phone, regardless of his relationship to them. Even his mother was in his phone as Leia Organa-Solo with “Mom” in parenthesis afterwards.

But this bright spot of a girl seemed different, seemed… special. After typing out just “Rey”, Ben added a sun emoji afterwards. Not the attempting-to-be-realistic sun, and not the sun with the strange face. Just the simple but perfect sun that promised light and warmth.

_ This girl gave you her number less than an hour ago _ , Ben chastised himself.  _ You can’t text her back just yet. _ The next hour or so was spent with the man sitting moodily at his piano, trying to pound out a song he had been working on, but getting nowhere.

Finally, after an hour had passed, Ben picked up his phone and typed out a short message.

**[11:03 p.m.]** Rey. I don’t know whether you are still up, but thank you very much for the note. I agree with you. We should do it again some time. Tomorrow, coffee at 7:30 too soon? -Ben Solo

Ben considered, for a moment, adding a winky face after the question, but decided against it. The reply came almost instantly, and Ben tried to ignore the way his pulse sped up.

**[11:03 p.m.]** _ Tomorrow is perfect. _


End file.
